I am including a link to a post on the American Veterinarian website. I don't think they are looking at any specific brands, it is more about the whole grain-free diet and the potatoes or multiple legumes as well as their protein, starch, and fiber sources early in the ingredient list, indicating that those were the main ingredients. Also feeding raw doesn't solve the problem they are seeing. https://www.americanveterinarian.co...en-grainfree-dog-foods-and-heart-disease

I feed a grain free food that is venison and potato, but she gets grains with other things she eats, like I will toss some leftover pasta in her food. I may also go back to adding some cooked Oatmeal in her food.

I read the FDA article and the link that Val posted. Both talk about the problem being related to not enough taurine. The best sources of taurine are muscle meats - so it may not be surprising to find that diets with too much of any kind of carb as a major ingredient is a problem.That being said, it seems this is a fairly recent study and they are not entirely sure what is the cause of the problem, the link to diet is a theory right now, not a proven fact.

I have been following this a bit, and the problem appears not exactly to be grain free, but grain free filled with protein fillers like peas and lentils, as I understand it, but it's still not completely clear.

(sorry the next one is so long, it's a FB post - Monica Segal is also one of the few places where you can get taurine not from China)https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2161940860500278&id=216331401727910&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.2161940860500278%3Atl_objid.2161940860500278%3Athrowback_story_fbid.2161940860500278%3Apage_id.216331401727910%3Aphoto_id.2161940003833697%3Apage_insights.{"216331401727910"%3A{"role"%3A1%2C"page_id"%3A216331401727910%2C"post_context"%3A{"story_fbid"%3A2161940860500278%2C"publish_time"%3A1531665000%2C"story_name"%3A"EntStatusCreationStory"%2C"object_fbtype"%3A266}%2C"actor_id"%3A216331401727910%2C"psn"%3A"EntStatusCreationStory"%2C"sl"%3A4%2C"dm"%3A{"isShare"%3A0%2C"originalPostOwnerID"%3A0}%2C"targets"%3A[{"page_id"%3A216331401727910%2C"actor_id"%3A216331401727910%2C"role"%3A1%2C"post_id"%3A2161940860500278%2C"share_id"%3A0}]}}%3Athid.216331401727910%3A306061129499414%3A2%3A0%3A1535785199%3A8271782668477390926&__tn__=*s-R

I found out that a good amount were eating Zignatures and Pure Vita. One GSD 3yrs old had CHF, what a shame, the Dr. gave him 6 to 8 months to live, however he is responding well on meds. This dog was feed kangaroo Zignatures. I am sorry I can't say where I got info from b/c it is confidential but I wanted people to know what I found out.

I'm not sure what to do here especially with a new pup coming soon. I feed Taste of the Wild. Before I was feeding the different flavors but recently I just switched to their Pine Forrest variety. I did this because I was looking for something different hoping it would help Eli's skin. According to TOTW this receipe includes 'nutrient rich legumes like peas and garbanzo beans.'

I'm not sold on grain free. I'd be fine with a quality food with or without grains.

Rosa

Proud Mom to Eli, Kody and Sashaand never to be forgotten, Shiloh and ShoshiEvery dog deserves to have a human that thinks its the greatest dog that ever lived!

I found out that a good amount were eating Zignatures and Pure Vita. One GSD 3yrs old had CHF, what a shame, the Dr. gave him 6 to 8 months to live, however he is responding well on meds. This dog was feed kangaroo Zignatures. I am sorry I can't say where I got info from b/c it is confidential but I wanted people to know what I found out.

I would use a good food with some grain in and or merrick's grain free line don't have lentils, peas or chickpeas. I have heard puppies do better with some grains in their food, especially if there is no known allergy that a vet found. Maybe some one on here can suggest a good grain in diet. Anymore with dog food I don't even know what brand is good.

Here is my point of view (just my opinion) peas and chickpeas and lentils are high in fiber, which some dogs can't absorb all their nutrients. Also, they boost protein in dog food, which is not good, seems the dogs are getting a good amount of protein from legumes which don't have all the amino acids as meat that they need including taurine which is found in meats. Now, there are wild animals that eat grain, but NEVER legumes that I know of. So in a nut Schell I don't like grain free that much. I looked up some grains for their fiber and protein count and legumes have a lot more fiber and protein. Don't know if that matters in dog food? Maybe the protein level in grain in diets may have more of meat protein count, but not sure. Food for thought.

I found out that a good amount were eating Zignatures and Pure Vita. One GSD 3yrs old had CHF, what a shame, the Dr. gave him 6 to 8 months to live, however he is responding well on meds. This dog was feed kangaroo Zignatures. I am sorry I can't say where I got info from b/c it is confidential but I wanted people to know what I found out.

Thanks for that info!

Yes, Thank you!

Anita & 11yr old Yukon

R.I.P Amber & Cisco:"Goodbye may seem foreverFarewell is like the endBut in my heart's a memoryAnd there you'll always be."